Croy Hill SoSOL 2026Sunday 15th March
Credit: Louise Clayton
The 3rd event in the South of Scotland Orienteering League (SoSOL) was hosted by Clydeside Orienteers at Croy Hill, the site of a Roman fortlet on the Antonine Wall.
Croy Hill is the only site along the Antonine Wall where a ditch was not dug, probably due to the underlying hard basalt and dolerite. The bracken and gorse covered hill has obvious flat areas and the line of the Wall can also be seen. Smaller wooded areas cover the lower slopes, there is an old flooded quarry to the south and the canal borders the area to the north. In the sunshine, views stretched to Kilsyth and the Campsie hills beyond.
Louise Clayton writes:
The 3rd event in the SoSOL league was within walking distance from Croy station, which is on the main Edinburgh-Glasgow line, so it was easy to get to by train, even on a Sunday morning. The weather varied between a lovely spring day, and heavy downpours. I somehow managed to time it so it was pouring all the way to the start, and all the way from the finish back to assembly at Holy Cross Primary School, but mostly dry during my course.
The courses seemed to be on the tricky side in places, especially a section near the start of the TD5 courses which involved traversing a steep hillside. The rain hadn't helped the conditions underfoot, which was a thick layer of wet, slippy leaves on top of wet, slippy mud. There were some slips, some muddy maps, but a good and supportive atmosphere from the other competitors, ESOC people and strangers alike. The courses spread out a bit after that, to take in some areas of open hillside, and then lower lying woodland.
"Why are there so many earth banks here" I found myself wondering, before remembering that it was the site of the actual Antonine Wall!
Back at assembly, the doors read "take off muddy shoes". I debated with myself whether mine should still be considered muddy or if the heavy rain had washed them clean, before deciding I better take them off anyway.
Afterwards, several Turfers took the opportunity to collect some unique zones, including VeniVidiTurfi.
ESOC results in the top half:
- Blue (35) - Keith Brown 12th, Helena Nolan 21st, Megan Brown 24th
- Short Green (23) - Sally Lindsay 5th, Judy Bell 8th, Janice Nisbet 11th
- White (5) - Ossian Imrie 4th
Full results for all courses can be found here
Points applied for the SoSOL, with the full league table so far available here
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